News: Grant helps dads get back to nature

21-11-2016

A grant of £1,000 from City Health Care Partnership Foundation helped Whiston Area Dads Club give dads and males carers and their children a day out to remember with a K?maru Bushcraft Day at Knowsley Safari Park.

Organiser Joe Keeley said, “All our families loved the K?maru day-long bushcraft course where they got to put their survival skills to the test as a team, as well as spending time and having fun together. Each family built a waterproof shelter in the woods, learnt how to light a campfire without matches, cooked survival food on a campfire & learnt how to find water in the woods. They also talked about survival skills including tracking animals, foraging for food and other survival essentials while eating lunch around the campfire as one big group. It was an excellent male bonding opportunity.”

One dad said, “It was a boss day with my boys, we never get to do anything like this together”. Another said, “We learnt lots of new tricks for camping, will deffo go camping more now”. One boy was impressed with his dad’s den-building skills: “My dad is the best at building dens, he shown me how to build ours.” A teenager with a physical disability loved being able to join in, saying, “Great activities I can get involved in with my dad & brothers”.

The group leaders carried out consultations with all the families after the bushcraft activities while they sat around the fire for one last nettle tea together. Every dad said they would like to see this activity provided by the dads club as an annual summer activity with more regular outdoor fun throughout the year like den making, bug hunts, pond dipping and orienteering. The children said much the same with the addition of camping out in the woods overnight at K?maru. The pre-activity questionnaire revealed that most of the weekend activities dads do with their children were indoors. It’s fantastic to see what a difference one day can make.